Play Talk Love, Orange County , CA (2026)

03/29/2025

Yes, it’s that simple!

QUICK!!🧐 Do a mental inventory of the puzzles, books, stuffies and toys you have at home. How many of them are animals that make noises?!?

🐻🐶🐮🐔🐸🦁🐘🐱🐑

You can utilize those TODAY to build so many early language skills with your baby, toddler or preschooler!

📌If you can’t do it literally right now, SAVE this post to refer back to!

We had so many when my kids were little but some of my absolute favorites were chunky animal puzzles and simple animal books! 🙌🏻

💬Which animal toys/books/items are you thinking of? Should I share my faves in another post?

speech delay, toddler speech, early language, raising babies, animal sounds, first words, toddler development, baby talk, toddler talk, speech therapy, early intervention, late talker

03/19/2025

The parent perspective shift you can make TODAY to help the development of first words ⤵️

Communication at its core is all about connection.
🫶🏻 Your little one builds the skill of verbalizing through connection and interaction with you.

When you shift your perspective to CONNECTION (over just focusing on saying words) it opens up a whole new world 🌎for you and your child!

When you begin to look at communication through that lens, 👓 you naturally begin to see what we have been looking at and celebrating as pediatric SLPs all along… all the skills that come BEFORE verbal language! 🎉

It’s so exciting when I see parents make this shift… because then they can very easily foster and support the development of those foundational skills. 📈

One of the big foundational skills for verbal language is imitation.

You can follow the imitation hierarchy and apply it to your everyday interactions with your little one, to get them closer and closer to verbal language!

Attention (the base skill needed to start building imitation) ➡️ Actions ➡️Gestures ➡️ Sounds ➡️ Words

📌 Save this post to refer back to!

👀What level is your child at in this imitation hierarchy? I’d love to know what you’re seeing! 💬

03/02/2025

It’s wild how the past can sneak up on you.

My kids were sick recently, and even though we’re 8 years past my daughter’s early arrival, my heart still reacted like we were back in the NICU—reliving the fear and uncertainty. Trauma lingers, even when we’ve moved forward.

Have you ever had a moment like this? Share in the comments—your story might help someone feel less alone. 🫶🏻

02/18/2025

🚨 Most parents start their preschool search the WRONG way… and it makes the process way harder than it needs to be!

I see it all the time… parents hear about a “great” preschool, fall in love with it… only to realize later that it doesn’t actually work for their family’s actual needs. 🫠

That’s why before you even start touring schools, you need a plan!

I’ve put together a FREE guide, The Preschool Playbook, to walk you through:

✅ Defining your priorities that are unique to your child and your family’s needs

✅ The different educational approaches you may encounter and how to know what’s best for your child

✅The detailed questions to ask so you have all the information you need to make an informed decision

✅ How to narrow down your options and feel confident in your choice

🎉 Want a copy? Comment “PRESCHOOL” below, and I’ll DM you the link!

📌 Save this post so you don’t forget when it’s time to start your search!

👉🏻Follow along for more posts breaking down what you need to know when choosing a preschool! I’ll be sharing tips straight from The Preschool Playbook and answering your questions. 🎉

10/29/2024

👋🏻 Hiiii! It’s been a while since I last re-introduced myself!

I’m here to support fellow parents through every step of your child’s early language journey. While early development should be filled with joy, I know the worry that can sometimes tag along. 🙃

In my little corner of the internet, you’ll find practical strategies, free tips, real parent moments, and guides designed to help you confidently support your child’s language development. And if your child needs extra help, I offer personalized support to navigate early intervention and speech services with ease.

Follow along for easy-to-apply strategies, connection, and encouragement! 🫶🏻

10/28/2024

Pretty scary… right?!? 👻 Did I miss any?

Share the one you relate to the most! 🙃

08/01/2024

When you receive a diagnosis or tough news…

some people will have good intentions but may have a reaction that hurts. They are meaning to be helpful but don’t have the personal experience to know how it truly feels to be on the other side.

Having a baby in the NICU, having a child labeled with a milestone delay, getting a Down Syndrome/Autism/ADHD/etc diagnosis… this may be a new experience for you (and it also may be new for those close to you). They are hearing about it for the first time and initial reactions can be tricky.

Two things that helped for us:
♥︎Taking our own space to grieve before letting others in on the news was helpful.

♥︎When we did share - sending a text or email in place of a phone call gave the recipient time to process and form a more supportive response.

💬 For those of you that have been there, what else was heartbreaking to hear? And, what was helpful in your process?
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07/11/2024

You’re going to want to SAVE this post to refer back to! 📌

Here’s your guide to boosting your toddler’s use of verbs through simple routines and play at home! 🙌🏻

The amount of verbs your child should be using by a certain age varies. However, at a minimum, your toddler should have at least a few verbs they can express independently by 24 months. 💬 Many children say at least 40 verbs by 24 months. ⁣
⁣
Verbs are key to expanding your child’s expressive range, as they help them communicate in more complex ways. Think about it- every phrase and sentence needs a verb!

✨Extra tip: Don’t stress about them imitating the verbs you model right away! Just enjoy the moment and keep it natural. The more you model verbs as you engage in simple activities or play, the quicker they’ll understand and start using them!

What verbs have you noticed your little one understanding or using?

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06/27/2024

You can stop frantically googling now. 😅

As both an experienced pediatric speech-language pathologist and mom of two young children, I’ve seen early intervention transform lives. ✨

→ Swipe through to learn:
✿ What early intervention is
✿ Who it’s designed for
✿ How to get started

Early support can set your child up for lifelong success. 🎉

I’ve helped thousands of busy parents and families! 🫶🏻 I can help you too!

Follow along at so you can confidently build your child’s speech and language skills with practical strategies (that won’t add more to your plate) and expert support!

Drop any questions you have in the comments or send a DM! 💬

04/28/2024

On this day 8 years ago… I was thrown into motherhood in the most unexpected and scary way.

My water broke at 27 weeks pregnant, which I learned later was PPROM (Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes). We smiled in this photo but we were terrified.

The next 3 weeks were filled with hospital bedrest and so many emotions. I felt relief that she hadn’t arrived at 27 weeks, but anxiety about when that day would come. I was overwhelmed by all the information and had a deep sadness about all I had missed (baby showers, 3rd trimester of pregnancy, etc). Oh and the guilt… so much guilt… that I had somehow caused it all to happen.

My daughter arrived 3 weeks later. She wasn’t initially breathing without support and was whisked off to the NICU, where she spent the first 7 weeks of her life.

There’s so much to say about that day and that experience. I wish I could go back to that scared new mom and give her a hug. Reassure her that everything would be scary and hard… but that she was going to be okay.

What I’d want her to know (that I want you to know too, regardless of the stage of parenting you’re in):

-Sitting in the unknown and the anticipation of whats come is exhausting. Don’t keep it all to yourself. Share how you’re feeling with your people. They want to support you.

-It’s okay to grieve your unmet expectations. We all visualize what an experience will be like, in big and small ways. It’s okay to grieve when reality isn’t what you expected it to be. This can be true for a traumatic birth, a premature birth, your child’s health, struggles with breastfeeding, your child’s disability or delays with developmental milestones… really anything.

-Your worth as a parent is not defined by your child’s abilities. You cannot hold guilt for what you never had control over. Every child has different strengths and needs, for different reasons. Their struggles are not your fault. You can support and love them without taking on the guilt.

Just a long-winded share from one parent to another. Maybe what I would share with myself 8 years ago will help someone reading this today. 🫶🏻

04/19/2024

You’re going to want to SAVE this post to refer back to! 📌

Imitation skills are foundational to your child becoming a successful communicator and talker! 🙌🏻 When you know the hierarchy of expected skills, you can meet your child exactly where they are and support them from that place! 🎉

For example, if your child is currently only imitating actions with object (phase 1), you can begin to model imitation of gross motor actions (phase 2), to help them get to the next level.

Regardless of the phase your child is currently at… there are practical ways you can nurture their imitation skills at home! Some of my favorite suggestions to give to parents include:

✔️ Books
✔️ Songs
✔️ Play
✔️ Daily Routine

I’ll be diving into details via stories and upcoming posts. 👀 Be sure to tune in so you can start implementing these strategies with your baby or toddler today!

Toddler speech development
Child development
Baby milestones
Speech delay
Speech therapy
Late talker
Speech language development
Speech Therapist

03/21/2024

Taking part in this trend so I can help even one person feel less alone in their struggles. 🫶🏻

I am incredibly blessed in more ways than I can count… but often that’s all we see here on Instagram. So this little trend is flipping the script- showing us that Instagram isn’t the whole picture… and that’s really important.

I love the community of support we’ve built here together as parents and caregivers… because it’s so powerful to know we aren’t alone in our worries, anxieties or overwhelm.

Play Talk Love